Hey guy, it takes more than a "handed propeller" to create a counter rotating airplane. If that's all you do, you're going to have permanent reverse thrust on one side. The prop doesn't determine the engine's direction of rotation.
Cheers,
Wes
SHOULD the P39 have been able to handle the Zero? Was it training or performance?
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Cheers,
Wes
As far as I can see there was no "cancelling" of contracts they were just re assigned as Lend Lease and sent to wherever needed which is why some ended up operated in the far east with British equipment on board.
Shortround6
Major General
The order for the P-38s was changed before many of the planes were built. There was NO refitting of already built or even partially built airframes with turbo-chargers. 120 of the P322 were fitted with handed engines (-27/-29 same as P-38D and E )but no turbos as trainers.
British and American airframes had probably been slotted into a production schedule in alternating batches. So many American planes than so many British then so many American and so one.
In any case according to at least one source the 524 Lighting IIs were broken up as one delivered to the British. 28 delivered as P-38F-13s, 121 delivered as P-38-15s, 174 as P-38G-13s and 200 as P-38G-15s. other accounts may differ or show planes diverted to photo recon? In any case the last of the "British" P-38s were being delivered in the fall/winter of 1942 and the US was glad to get every one of them. This was over 2 years after the initial order.
British and American airframes had probably been slotted into a production schedule in alternating batches. So many American planes than so many British then so many American and so one.
In any case according to at least one source the 524 Lighting IIs were broken up as one delivered to the British. 28 delivered as P-38F-13s, 121 delivered as P-38-15s, 174 as P-38G-13s and 200 as P-38G-15s. other accounts may differ or show planes diverted to photo recon? In any case the last of the "British" P-38s were being delivered in the fall/winter of 1942 and the US was glad to get every one of them. This was over 2 years after the initial order.
Shortround6
Major General
Not sure if I am more worried about the modified tail or the 20+ coats of paint sealing up everything or the plastic wood
filling around the cockpit
fubar57
General
Yikes!!!!
My experience of stuff like that is that after a while it cracks and falls out, I imagine that test aircraft looked very sad by the time they finished with it in UK.Not sure if I am more worried about the modified tail or the 20+ coats of paint sealing up everything or the plastic wood
View attachment 488406
filling around the cockpit
What is source for this?
CORSNING
Tech Sergeant
P-39 Expert
Non-Expert
Oh yes, I think Mr. Shortround detailed it pretty good right out of the book. They had other P-400s but Bell modified this one and got 393mph out of it then the others were going 370mph or so. Actually met the contract for speed. But it was only one plane.
(my bold)
The Mustang I was XP-51, Mustang Ia was P-51 (4 cannons, many times also cameras on the P-51; still no drop tanks), Mustang II was P-51A (1943, better engine, 415 mph, 4 HMGs, drop tanks facility).
Mustang II joined RAF in June 1943, 1st combat was in September of 1943.
P-39 Expert
Non-Expert
Yep, 400mph at 16000'.
P-39 Expert
Non-Expert
The Lockheed P-38 by Warren M. Bodie. Big book with lots of pictures. Does have a detailed manufacturing schedule though.
P-39 Expert
Non-Expert
Obviously I'm not smart enough to make this up, are you telling me that you never heard any of this before? Honest?
P-39 Expert
Non-Expert
Glad you asked. Weight wasn't the important part, it was the drag of the external gunpods that reduced top (and all) speeds.
I thought the difference between the Mustang I and IA was the IA was a later order specifying cannon etc the passing of the lease lend act, The Mustang Mk II was with the better engine.
Screws everything up when every damned plane is called a Mustang
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Shortround6
Major General
I have never heard of the British trying to get out of the contract in order to change from cash to lend lease and/or specifying things to reduce the performance in order to do so.
On what page it is said that people at Lockheed just installed turbo system and different engines on existing A/C to come out with P-38Fs? Footnote that proves it?
I have heard all sorts of conspiracy theories before, as I have told you twice before the tin pot contract for 675 underperforming aircraft didn't amount to a bag of beans, there was 1.5 million tons of shipping lost in the "first happy time" which was around this period. Since the USA, UK and Russia were all at war they moved what they had to where it would be most useful. Note the British didn't receive all the Mustang Mk1 or Mk1As they ordered either, were they "weaselling" out of that contract too?
Bingo! so it was possible with all the specified equipment, without woodfiller and twenty coats of paint. The British requests were in no way unreasonable or unattainable, just that Bell couldn't do it when they said they could.
I've not the link but i can paste that i've saved
"From Shores' Fighters over the Desert , I calculated the following:
168 x Tomahawk for 47 x Bf-109
223 x Kittyhawk for 97 x Bf-109
11 x P-40F for 4 x Bf-109
summary: 402:148 (3.7:1)
From Shores' Fighters over Tunisia:
62 x Kittyhawk for 25 x Bf-109
58 x P-40F for 33 x Bf-109
summary: 120:58 (2.1:1)"
and that on 202
"I discerned the following from Shores for the 1940-2 fighting:
the MC-202: (same: P40/202 kills vs each other)
23:35
On the surface, the 202 wins the kill contest. The ratio might be more....or even less because a major issue with the NA fighting was that the similarity in looks between it and the 109. It was suggested more than once in Shores' tombs that some combats credited with "109s" were in fact 202's. Specifically it was suggested in more than one place that kills credited to 109's were in fact 202's."
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